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. (No Model.)

H. J. BEHRENS.

EARTH CLOSET. I No; 258,006. Patented May 16,1882.

ing it. The top of the hopper B can be closed U ITED STATES PATENT Orrice.

HENRY J. BEHRENS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

EARTH-CLOS ET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 258,006, dated May 16, 1882.

Application filed February 8, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it hwy-concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY-J. BEI-IRENS, of New York city, (Tremont,) in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Earth-Closet, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention consists in a novel construction and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which similar letters of referenceindicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a cross-sectional elevation of'my Fig. 2 is a rear eleva Fig. 3 is a detail cross-sectional elevation of the fixed and swinging hoppers.

The privy-seat A is attached to the wall A of the closet in the usual manner. Above this seat a receptacle or hopper, B, is attached to the outer surface of the wall A, which hopper contains in its upper part a sliding sieve, 0, provided with a handle,0, for reciprocatby a swinging or sliding gate, D. I I The lower opening of the hopper consists of a longitudinal slot, E, which can be closed by a valve strip or. slat, F, fastened in the ends of and extending longitudinally across the top of a a hopper, G, which is pivoted to the bottom of the hopper B, at the rear end of the seat 'A, insuch a manner that this pivoted hopper G can be swung in the direction of the arrow a by means ,of a rod, H, attached to the hopper G and projecting from thefront or top of the seat; or the hopper G can be provided with any other suitable device for swinging or mov- 'ing it. The strip or slat F must be of such thickness that it fitsclosely inthe slot in the bottom of the hopper B. l

Thefront side, G, of the hopper G hangs down vertically, and the rear side, G is inclined toward the same; but I do not limit myself to this construction, as the shape and construction of this hopper are not essential and can be varied as may be necessary.

The rear side, G of the hopper must project above the lower end of the hopper B, so

that when the hopper G is swung toward the row a.

A checkbloch T, is attached to the hopper G, and this check-block is adapted to strike against a projecting strip or rail T, whereby the hopper is prevented from swinging in the inverse direction of the arrow at beyond the vertical position of the hopper.

A box, L, preferably mounted on wheels can be passed under the seat, if the rear gate, M, of the closet is opened; or the closet can be provided with the usual pit.

A'ventilating-flue, N, extends from under the seat up to and above the roof of the closet. A wire frame, 0, or a series of rods, projects from the top of the strip or slat F.

Two U-shaped wires or frames, P and Q, are pivoted at the ends to the top of the slat or strip F, and to the upper ends of these wires orframes P and Q wires It and S are pivoted, the other ends of these wires It and S being pivoted to the opposite sides of the hopper B, so that the wires R and S will be crossed, as is shown in Fig. 3. n I

In place of the hopper G, a chute or a swingin g plate can be used for conductin g the ashes or earth from the bottom of the receptacle'B' upon the excrements; but I prefer a hopper, as shown, as it avoids. spreading of dust.

The operation is as follows: Ashes are placed in the sieve O, which is reeiprocated so that the sifted ashes will drop into the hopper B, which is closed at the bottom by the-slat r strip F. In place of ashes, the hopper B can be filled with sand, earth, sawdust, and similar pulverized material. If the rod His drawn in the direction of the arrow 1), the hopper G will be swung in the direction of the arrow a, whereby the slat or strip F will be swung downward on a curved line, thusopening the bottom of the .hopperB and permitting a quantity of the ashes, earth, 850., to drop through the slot E into the hopper G. By swinging the hopper in the direction of the arrow at the lower end of the same will be brought under the opening in the seat and the ashes or sand will slide down the rear side, G of the hopper G upon the faeces or excrements in the box L or in the pit, and will cover the same. As' soon as the rod H is released the weight J draws the hopper G back into its original position, and the strip or slat F will be moved back into the slot E, which is thus closed, whereby the passage of the powdered material from the hopper B into the hopper Gis interrupted. When the box Lis filled it is removed and emptied, or the pit provided in place of the box is emptied atproper intervals. All the liquids are absorbed by the ashes, sand, or earth, and the manure in the box or pit will consist ofa dry mass, which can be shoveled out of the box or pit very easily. The ventilating-flue N carries off all the obnoxious and poisonous gases from the box L, so that'there will be no bad odors in the closet.

The powdered material-such as ashes, earth, &c.is apt to become packed and clogged in the lower narrower part of the hopper B, and for the purpose of loosening these materials I have provided the frames 0,1 and Q. When the slat or strip F moves downward the upper parts of the wire frames P and Q will be moved downward and to ward each other, therebyloosenin g the material at the sides of the hopper B, and the wire frame 0, or other suitable projections in place of the same on the strip or slat F, loosen the ashes or earth in the middle of the bottom of the hopper B. When the slat or strip F passes back into the slot E the wire frames 0, P, and Q will rise with it, and the upper ends of theframes P and Q will be moved from each other against the sides of the hopper B. Ifthe strip or slat F projects a greater distance into the hopper, less powdered material will pass from the hopper B into the hopper G, and it will not pass as rapidly as if the strip or rail F projected but slightly into the bottom of T the hopper B.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an earth-closet, the combination, with the seat and a receptacle for powdered material, of a swinging hopper for conducting the powdered material upon the excrement, provided with a valve for opening and closing the bottom of the said receptacle, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In an earth-closet, the combination, with the receptacle B for powdered material, of the swinging hopper G and the valve slat or rail F in the top of the swinging hopper for closing the bottom of the receptacle B, substantially as herein shown and described,'and for the purpose set forth.

3. In an earth-closet, the combination, with the receptacle B for powdered material, of the swinging hopper G, provided with a valve slat or rail, F, and of the rod H for operating the swinging ,hopper G, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

4. In an earth-closet, the combination, with the receptacle B, of the swinging hopper G, provided with a valve for opening and closing the bottom of the said receptacle, the rod H, and the weight J substantially as and for the purposev set forth.

5. In an earth-closet, the combination, with the swinging hopper G, of the receptacle B, the sieve (J, and means for reciprocating the sieve, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. I

6. In an earth-closet, the combination, with the receptacle B, of the swinging hopper G, and devices, substantially herein shown and described, for loosening the powdered material in the said receptacle, the said devices being operated by the movement of the said hopper, as set'forth.

7. In an earth-closet, the combination, with the receptacleB for powdered material, of the swinging hopper G, the slat F, and of devices attached to the strip or slat F, for loosening the powdered material in the receptacle G, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

8. In an earth-closet, the combination, with the receptacle B for powdered material, of the swinging hopper G, the slat F, the frames P and Q, pivoted to the top of the strip or slat F in the hopper G, and of the pivoted wires R S for connecting these frames with the sides of the receptacle B, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

9. In an earth-closet, the combination, with the receptacleBfor powdered material, the hopper G, and the slat F, of the swinging frames P and Q and the fixed frames or projection O on the top of the strip or slat F in the hopper G, and of the wires R S, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

10. In an earth-closet, the combination, with the receptacle B and the swinging hopper G, of the check-block T, the projecting rail T, and the check-bar K, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth. v HENRY J. BEHRENS.

Witnesses:

OSCAR F. GUNZ, 0. SEDGWIoK. 

